November Summary

My NaNoWriMo awareness month is over and congratulations to all my friends who have completed this epic journey, especially Deborah.
Unfortunately, as a non-participant, a demanding day job would never allow me the time and energy to go for glory with my story. However, watch this space in about four years time.
Until then, November, for me, will remain a period of literary self-discovery.
I was born in November, So it's natural for me to reflect around this time ot the year. Blog writing is as good as anything  for helping me do this.
That's why this will be my fourth post this month.
So if 50,000 words in a month was not an option for me, what has November meant to me?
I have a short story and a TV script currently being judged in separate competitions with another short story underway. I have been inspired by a great comedy show in London and I have taken to using an iPad & pen with handwriting recognition software for my first drafts. My laptop is needed for subsequent edits.
On the negative side, work has been absolutely dire, so I have been lacking in time and energy and stress has sucked some of my creative juices from my bone marrow. My short story has suffered because of this and although I know where the story is going the pace is very slow. It may have to go on the back burner whilst I work afresh on something new.
Cosolidating the positives and the negatives, I think the overall picture is I have done enough this November to keep me motivated to continue writing through the festive season and into the new year.

Mid-November update

I can now declare myself as a Screenscribbler in every sense of the word, now that I am making good use of handwriting recognition software on my new iPad ( thank you Karen x).

My handwriting is not fit for human consumption and should carry a Government Health Warning. Indeed it is a serious challenge for myself as the writer to decipher. .

As a youngster I had a pen-pal (long before email was even considered to be science fiction), my great-aunt. 

Aunty Gertie, amongst other things, had once been an English teacher so my letters would not only have an interesting reply she would also correct any grammatical errors and send me handwriting exercises, both of which were lost on me. 

To find software that can make sense of my senseless scrawl is beyond science, it's witchcraft. If nobody has started a list 'Seven wonders of the technological world,' can I please reserve the number one slot for Handwriting Recognition Software? Okay it isn't perfect, but the amount of correction that I have to do. after my scrawl has been converted to text is minimal. 

Has anyone any ideas for the other six wonders can be?

Deathship 666

Today we went to the West End Premier of Deathship 666. It was a truly mad mad mad lovable comedy parody show experience. Not a second of stage time of this fast paced production was wasted leaving the audience totally captivated. Well done to Box Step Productions, Gemma Hurley, Michael & Paul Clarkson and their amazing cast. They are names to watch out for. Here's the link to book tickets before they all sell out. Deathship 666

 

November Diary (Off to a good start)

Good as my word, I am going to make November count in terms of writing, as best I can, considering I am unable to commit to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).^st.

I suppose for me my own personal NaNoWriMo alternative got underway about mid-October because I have been working hard on a script which had a deadline for submission on November 1

Since then, in between working 12 hour shifts and some fairly long distance travelling to catch up with family on days off, I haven’t given much time to my favourite pastime. So today on November 5^th I am starting off by a long overdue blog post.

I have another competition entry to be getting on with during this month and of course Ephesus to complete and publish.

For me reading is part and parcel of the deal, and I must say I am very excited to have discovered Linwood Barclay.Trust Your Eyes has been my best read of the year so far, and it has been an excellent year for me. It has been a long time since I have read a book so full of....STORY. It's a great read and I highly recommend it.
It’s a great feeling when you find a new author that can press all your buttons.

Long journey’s visiting family also is valuable reading time, and I have just finished my second Colin Bateman audiobook, Prisoner of Brenda…Curses, Nurses and a Ticket to Bedlam. 

Reading or writing, either way, I think I am keeping my literary juices flowing, and in my own way am going to make November count for me in a small way.

Good luck to all my writer friends on FB, Twitter and those who follow this blog (especially Deborah), who are entering NaNoWriMo. I don’t expect to hear from you until December.